The Spirits #172: The Campari Smash

Un Sogno in Rosso

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~ THE CAMPARI SMASH ~

Two strawberries
Five basil leaves
50ml Campari (or similar)
20ml gin
Dash balsamic vinegar
More strawberries and basil to garnish

Place the strawberries and basil in the bottom of your shaker along with the gin and muddle awhile - crush that stuff up. Now introduce the Campari, a scant dash of balsamic and two regular ice cube and “whip shake” until the ice is all melted and the strawberries liquified. Strain this mixture into an old-fashioned glass and heap crushed ice. Garnish with strawberries and basil.

Some Campari Smash notes:

1) Campari + strawberry = a match made in Italian fashion heaven. It’s almost uncanny how the bitterness and the sweetness become one; you’d think a strong flavour like Campari would dominate but no, it’s a perfect foil for the summer fruit. First recorded in the hugely influential book The Spirits¹, the Campari Smash is thus an elegant summer crowd-pleaser and a handy way of converting Aperol Spritz drinkers to the more adult charms of Campari.